Hair & Eyes: Naturally very thick and just a little bit bristly, Genki's jet black hair will only stay tamed if he keeps it slicked back or glued in place with product - a choice he greatly prefers over letting the mop flop around carelessly. His eyes are a rich, dark green that is swirled like marble. And while it might be stretching his emotional depth to call his eyes 'sad', they certainly project a thoughtful and considerate look.

Physical Description: Genki is a light skinned man of mixed Caucasian and Asian descent. A second generation Japanese-American in his mortal life, he sports the striking jaw line, well muscled frame, and narrow nose of his Swedish-American father, blended with the wide cheek bones, black hair, and the heavy-lidded eyes of his mother. It's difficult to find him without either a smile or a smirk on his face; his playful attitude fills in for any shifts his perpetual cockiness leaves open to create the sort of demeanor that most people either feel drawn to as a fast friend, or wanting to punch square in the face.

Vocal Presentation: With a voice that is both deep and self-assured, he has no problems with projecting and being heard throughout a room, or booming challenges and taunts across a crowded battlefield. In normal speech, when he has less of a chance to be bombastic and loud, he speaks evenly and calmly. However, he always seems to find a way to coat his words with a hint of condescension and cockiness that he has made into almost trademark.

Scars and Marks: Despite his total lack of Kido knowledge, Genki has spent an awful lot of time in the beds of the Third division receiving healing focused on his face and hands. Because of this, he has no visible scars or marks unless he is partially disrobed or out of his normal uniform. However, he does bear a large scar on his left shoulder in a horseshoe shape, beginning at the pectoral and ending at the quadriceps. The flesh is still pink and healing naturally (albeit slowly), and the unique nature of the Hollow that inflicted it made Kaido a very painful fix. His complexion is devoid of blemish aside from a single mole on his right cheek, near the corner of his mouth.

Clothing and Gear: A standard Shihakusho, immaculately tailored to fit every muscled turn of his body, devoid of other adornment or adjustment, is his uniform of choice. The scabbard that holds his dai-katana is a simple, black, lacquered piece that is tied to his belt and threaded through the white obi.

When off duty, Genki is found almost exclusively wearing a combination of the following three pieces of clothing: A forest green bath-robe, white and light blue, striped, cotton pajama pants, and a white, V-neck t-shirt. Sandals optional. Even in this casual state, you are likely to find his scabbard threaded through one of the belt loops on his robe.

Spiritual Description: Perhaps rare among the Gotei, Genki's aura is thin and piercing above all else. His reiatsu clings to his body in the shape of a four-pointed star the pulses rhythmically in keeping with his emotional intensity. Perhaps against intuition, this aura pulses more slowly as his heart-rate and intensity rises and he has come to look to his own spiritual presence as a way to detect his approach to 'combat zen'; a state he has often talked about wanting to enter but has eluded him so far. The most common feeling associated with people exposed to the full weight of his reiatsu, is an uncomfortable warmth not unlike the light from a harsh sun, and the smell of dry, hot air.

Psychological Case File

Not immune to the dichotomy that most Shinigami find themselves mired in, Genki gladly bears a polished, exuberant facade, however doubt and concern linger just beneath the surface.

The traits the primarily define him to others are: his gregarious nature, outgoing pursuit of personal relationships, his desire to make sure everyone has a chance to have fun, and an unfaltering confidence in his own way. He has taken great care to establish himself as a rock for his squad mates, whether or not his rank reflects that social standing, both in the field and in the barracks. Genki likes the camaraderie, the talking and joking, the times together....Because without those? His crippling doubts begin to bubble.

Privately, Genki is plagued by a lack of validation. His Zanpakuto appears to be entirely incapable of speech, and even though he can often feel or sense when she is pleased or displeased there is no substitute for a simple, firm word one way or the other. To compound this complex, despite his efforts during The Massacre, he was never recognized with either rank or promotion by his superior officers. It was not uncommon that many heroic deeds went unrecognized given that a quarter of the people involved may have died before they could share, but it left a chip on his shoulder none the less.

Professionally, Genki has always done a fine job for the Gotei. Just fine, though. He completes tasks and objectives but cares infinitely more about doing right by his brothers than by his superior officers. This, in combination with what appears to be a 'lack of innovative problem solving' has held him back. Ever since The Massacre, however, he seems to be running out of patience for endless mountain of bureaucracy above him.

Deep down Genki seeks the acknowledgment of his ambition and the chance to frame his ability in the only reliable way he has observed - by whatever criteria he feels he should be judged. His Zanpakuto cannot speak the words, and he has no loving home to go to beyond the barracks he sleeps in.

The story of Genki is one about the risks and pitfalls of losing yourself in pursuit of the question.

Positive Traits:Upbeat || Who or what is served by getting down about stuff? Good attitudes are contagious! But maybe more importantly, so are bad ones. He decided long ago that he would be part of the cure, not the disease. You can't keep his spirits down, even in the face of adversity. To some, this can come off as a bit dismissive to the realities of the situation, but to be anything else leaves him with a sense of unease and emptiness inside.

"I've had a lot of worries in my life. Most of which never happened."

Playful || Often trying to merely contain his sense of humor rather than subdue it, Genki is constantly joking about himself or with others, playing card games and bonding with the fellas, laughing at your stories and telling a few of his own, partaking in sports or organized athletic events, or otherwise just being as jovial as the Seireitei will let him get away with. Give he is a dealer of death, sometimes it's all he can do to keep smiling from day to day.

"A little nonsense, now and then, keeps anyone young."

Duty-Driven || He is genuinely driven by a mission. Call him a believer if you will, but the promise he has made to himself as a combatant, and to the Gotei as a Shinigami, underpin everything he does. When that uniform is on, there is no doubt about his motivation. Nothing less should be expected, and nothing more need be given.

"Do not free a camel from the burden of his hump. You may be freeing him from being a camel."

Obvious (If not Predictable) || Something he acknowledged might be a fault, if only privately, is just how obvious Genki can be to someone looking at him. He tends to swing exactly where it looks like he is swinging, to run exactly where it appears he is heading, and say exactly what his words were intended to do. But for him, it also means that a promise is a promise - if he tells you that he will be there to bail your unit out in five minutes, well, set your watch. This isn't to say he is unimaginative or incapable of improvising, merely that deceit just doesn't show up in his playbook.

"Ironically, engaging people with what they expect is the best was to get a predictable response."

Mentoring || Weak links really bother him. Not so much the idea of weak links, but the idea of being surrounded by them. And in a squad and division where you are not only expected to trust others to have your back, but required to do so as a way of life, he goes out of his way to prevent such traps. Genki is very positive about imparting his knowledge onto others and pushing his squad-mates to not only improve individually, but refine themselves as a unit. He tries to extend this to all walks of his life.

"Training costs less than incompetence"

Negative Traits:Single-Minded || Okay, so maybe he gets a bit of tunnel vision on some things, like his need to chase after a good, clean, honest fight, that might jeopardize his other duties on any given day. Despite his dedication to the mission, priorities become fuzzy when something is already in motion. He just likes to finish what he starts, okay? Unfortunately this naughty habit is often reinforced by the attitude of some of his friends and squad-mates who like to see the grittiness that comes with it.

"The only thing more terrifying than a rampaging maniac with no goal is a rampaging maniac with just one."

Brutality || If you wanted to be polite you could call it a rage problem, but it runs much deeper than that for Genki. There is a terrible, primal need within him that once unleashed is very difficult to get back into its cage - to rip and cut and tear and smash anything he can get his sword on - until everything in the vicinity has been relegated to goo and/or dust.

Gamesmanship || A fight has to be fair, even if the skills of the two combatants are not equal. There are a lot more things that folks can stand on than just brawn! The tiny fast ones like to run, the soft ones that wear dresses like to throw magic...it's all the same in the end - two people doing the dance of combat until one of them can't stand up anymore. In this regard, Genki will do whatever he can to find himself a fair fight, even if he has to make it fair by lowering himself. This also gives him one unimpeachable rule: Opponents who become incapable of fighting back must not be touched unless they refuse to yield.

"It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair."

Prideful || He's done some stuff, and he's not shy about taking credit for that. Genki is a good looking man, with a bright future, a good career track, and the skills to pay the bills. He tries not to be vain about it but it takes very little time for him to relapse into a less humble man than he should be. Because of this pride, it's not much of a stretch to see him as cocky although a trained eyed might be able to understand that the bravado is motivated by something more than merely confidence.

"You aren't born with a walk like this - you have to earn it."

Bottled Up || All the gregarious, friendly, extroverted qualities aside, Genki is genuinely rattled by the risks associated with his every day life and the career he commits to. Thoughts of oblivion, of lost friends, and of the murder inflicted lurk in the back of his mind - but only if he lets them. If he ever stopped, he might actually have to face them! And that's just...well..that's just not okay.

"I try not to let my head tell me what to do anymore than I have to. That fucker gives up too easily."

Supernatural Qualities

ZanpakutoKakete Aijin no Himitsu, 'the Absent Mistress of Secrets'. A slender woman with Japanese features, Genki's Zanpakuto looks a bit gaunt and frail upon first glance, and that opinion is tough to challenge as she very rarely allows Genki to get too close! Her face, while adorned with a hard jawline and prominent cheek bones, is offset by a genuine, warm, matronly smile that is easily the highlight of her otherwise boring appearance. Black hair tied up in a bun and held in place by pencils, everything about her scream 'librarian'. From the full-length skirt to the frumpy, off-white blouse, to the thin framed, circular lens glasses that sit on the end of the nose.

But why do these details do the talking on her behalf? Why could she simply not declare herself the caretaker of this vault of secrets? Kakete is apparently incapable of speech. And despite their long history, Genki has never even seen her so much as part her lips to smile, let alone inhale a breath with the intention of speaking.

In spite of the lack of words, Kakete communicates in a myriad of other ways ranging from handing over files that contain briefings or readings, board games for the two of them to play, card games, and especially visual charades. Their language is complex, tedious, and half a guessing game, and that's really all there is to it.

Inner WorldSimply defined, Genki's Inner World is lined with row upon row of filing cabinets that stretch dozens of feet up into the air, grouped into wide columns that stretch on into infinity. Each cabinet is of a uniform, steel gray, base color that looks just a bit worn in. Each frame has a few spots of scuffed paint and other damaging marks that make it unique but you would never be able to be sure as they seem to stretch on forever. Scattered throughout the stacks, you will find Kakete Aijin's workstations where she has made a small clearing and setup a table or a couple chairs where she can be found at rest, or reading, or filing, unless she is moving about the stacks.

The faint din of drawers opening, closing, and slamming, as well as rustling papers and the shuffling of manila folders provides the same sort of ambient noise you might find in a living forest. Who is moving these things and where are they moving them too? Genki may never know. But their ever-present melody provides a comforting bustle and distraction for his busy mind.

ReleaseKakete Aijin is unique in that its release phrase very literally cannot be spoken. Genki can only release his Shikai by performing a physical ritual. Generally this physical ritual is to hold the sword in front of him and slowly draw the palm of his hand down the length of the blade, while the blade makes its own 'announcement' by filling the air with the rushing, rumbling sound of static.

Visually, Genki's Sealed Shikai is a 49-inch Dai-katana of indistinct make aside from the tsuba, which is shaped as a four-pointed star. The hilt, wrapped with a black cloth, is the only personal adornment made to the weapon. Upon performing his release ritual, the sword lengthens and grows to a 60-inch nodachi with a slight, rusty colored tinge to the blade. Regardless of whether or not the blade is actually rusty it certainly looks at least a little bit more mean than it used to when it was sealed.

Zanpakuto Power

抑えられない秘密

( Unquenchable Secret )

Osae Rarenai Himitsu, The Unquenchable Secret. Anyone who is within range to hear the static rush of his Shikai's release is implanted with the seeds of this power, and fighting back against Genki only hastens the insidious growth.

Deep within the recesses of the mind a secret takes root that will, over time, consume the willpower of the afflicted if it is not released in the only way a person can truly free themselves from a secret - by sharing it.

It begins first as a gentle scratch in the back of the mind before it builds into an anxious energy. Soon, thoughts of the burden intrude into your consciousness and begin to spill over. Eventually, the pain of what you know but have been unable to tell occupies your every waking moment unless anything but your full focus is applied. The only way to purge this terrible urge is to unburden yourself of something you believe to genuinely be a secret. Doing so makes someone immune to the effect until Genki seals and releases his blade once more.

(Author's Notes: Mechanically, nothing about this power forces or compels anyone to actually share any secret. It is merely the persistent and growing urge to want to share it out loud. This secret can be about yourself, or about someone else you know. It cannot be a fact that the other person simply might not know, it must be something you genuinely want to keep private.

As ranks in this skill increase, the intensity of the urge and the rate at which it grows both increase. Continuing to fight against Genki hastens the growth of the urge with each strike of his sword, relative to his skill level.)

The History

SnapshotHUMAN LIFE (1924 - 1943)

Born in Los Angeles

Father killed in WWII

Placed in Internment Camp

Volunteered for combat to achieve amnesty

Killed in action

PLUS LIFE (1943)

Immediately absolved to Rukongai

RUKONGAI (1943 - 1968)

Appeared in Rukongai, joined family on fringe

Into and out of bandit groups

Met a woman, fell in love

Fathered two children

Killed three men in a card game

Fled for inner districts

ACADEMY (1968-1974)

Barely passed Kido

Excellent in swordplay

Excellent in unit tactics

Chided for his 'brutish' approach and lack of depth in skill

FIFTH DIVISION (1974 - 2013)

After one year trial period, properly joined Fifth

Remained in low rank response units

Popular among his men, neutrally regarded by officers

Unlocked his Shikai in 1991

Present during The Massacre

PRESENT DAY (2013+)

Has been seeking assignment of increasing profile and risk

Presently low-ranking Fifth Division officer

History

[ OH THE HUMANITY ]

Born to a Swedish-American father and a Japanese mother, Genki, or Eito as he was called then, was brought into a loving home surrounded by the racial tension of Pre-WWII California. His father's University work kept them fed and clothed and Eito was on track for every opportunity a parent could hope to give their children, until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Swept up in the Nationalist frenzy, his family was torn asunder by his fathers drafting into the war effort. And shortly after the protection his father's US Citizenship afforded them was safely overseas, Eito and his mother were placed in an internment camp for observation.

In 1943, second generation Japanese-Americans were offered the opportunity to prove their loyalty by enlisting for combat. Despite every protest his mother could muster, her headstrong boy did enlist. His was shipped into the 100th Infrantry Battalion where he joined the campaign in Northern Italy. It was there, courtesy of a rifle shot through his right lung, that Eito died.

Despite the sudden death, he found no pain in what he had done - he fought to prove his family and his name. He regretted leaving his mother behind, but he passed knowing that the sacrifices he made were bigger than just him, or his family. He absolved and passed directly to the Rukongai.

[ DIRTY ELBOWS, DIRTY KNEES ]

Among the dirty alleys and makeshift hovels of the Outer Rukongai, Eito awoke without knowledge of his past life. As he ran and played and dipped about the shops and tenements of the outer districts, the kids would playfully mock his energy! He never seemed to let up, and was never one to turn down an adventure! Genki, then took to calling him. He liked it.

As the years past, he was taken in by a medium sized Rukongai family of eight, similarly raised urchins. Together they nabbed what they could to survive and eek out their existence. It wasn't much, but it got the job done. Every noticed how Genki got hungry faster than anyone else. They knew it wasn't just because he was growing big and strong - he had the seeds of spiritual ability. But, like anyone else in that situation, it was almost a crap-shoot if he would have the chance to make good on that potential.

Entering his teen years, Genki was appoached by the regional thugs that operated with as much authority as anyone else could exercise out there on the fringes. The benefits were tangible, and he helped out when he could. His participation bought his family more steady access to food and a degree of protection they hadn't known in years - the two most valuable commodities they could stock - and he was only too happy to provide for the only home he could remember having.

One day while shaking down a miller and his shop, Genki became enamored with a girl at the counter. While it was hardly love at first site, her striking, European features and long, blonde hair were the sort of exotic that he found impossible to turn down. He was head over heels in lust for this girl! He came back that night and asked her out, this siren, this Abella. Naturally, she said no. What would you do if the guy who mugged your shop asked for a date on the way out of the door?

So he came back again the next night, with a sack full of the pilfered grain and a sincere apology. Again, and again he came back, each night for fifteen days until not only had he returned all that they had taken from their grain stores, but he given them the profit of other raids. On the sixteenth night, Abella said yes. I wish I could tell you he was the perfect gentlemen to the girl he had worked so hard to appeal to. I wish I could tell you they had a storybook romance and a cute night of dinner and walking and talking and sharing and loving...

Genki, dressed in his best and squeaky clean for the first time in months, turned to butter the moment he saw the radiant Abella and her shining, golden hair, which she had scented with lavender perfume. The feeling was mutual. Several awkward smiles, bumbling phrases, and nervous stammering later they were making out beneath a tree on the bank of a small river. You know what comes next; the camera pans away and we fade to black and we jump forward in time to just two month later.

Genki and Abella are still seeing one another, although the lust is just starting to lose its edge. She stares into his eyes as he says goodbye, not knowing that this is the last night she would see him. She has something she desperately wants to tell him but...but the words won't budge. 'Now's not the time,' she thought to herself. Maybe she was right. Maybe she wasn't. 'You'll know when he needs to know,' her mother had said. Genki kissed her deeply as he headed out for the night, locking the words behind her lips.

When he arrived at the hangout that night, the mood was sour. He was aware of the chatter from weeks past - massive stacks of grains had gone missing and no one knew where. Someone was coining it off on the side, trying to get rich off the clan's property. Bosses were hot, but no one was talking. No one locally would fess up to having bought the stuff either. Genki, ever the upbeat man, was the first to break the tension and suggest cards. Beers started to flow, people started to relax, and the night returned to normal.

Maybe his perceptions were just fooled by having gotten away with it for so long, or maybe the young fool was just drunk on love. Three beers later, the table had grown very quiet as they each played their cards. Hanafuda, was the game tonight, but the other three men at the table were playing on something else.

Genki laid his card down, "Hiki!" he explained with a pleasant, upward inflection.

"Are you fucking kidding me?", the guy on his left grumbled into his cards as Genki raked the hand in. "You think you're so goddamn sneaky?"

All three of their sets of eyes turned to him as he returned the look sheepishly. "What? Just good fortunate in my hand. This is like the first round I've taken in 40 minutes?" But he was only met with angry glares.

"I saw you draw from the bottom of the deck, didn't you, Isshi?" They conspired with an ominous tone, although no glances were exchanged between the men at the table.

"Yeah, I'm certain of it." Isshi grumbled back as he set his cards down on the table and leaned back in his chair.

A lump grew in Genki's throat, first the size of a marble, then growing to a golf ball. It mine as well have been a beach ball - he could barely breath as his fight-or-flight was quickly waking up. "W-what is this fellas? We aren't even playing for money here. Why would I cheat at this? You guys aren't even worth enough to steal from, right, haha. ....Haha...?" His forced laugh wasn't helped. The rest of the room had fallen silent as well as half the heads had turned to their dispute.

"Give us the room, boys," the third man said out of the side of his mouth as his hands dropped to his thighs. "We'll be needin' some space."

No one in their right mind would sit here totally unarmed. Genki knew it, they all knew it. As the door closed behind the last man out and snapped onto the latch, the silence grew and grew into what felt like decades had passed. Motionless, they all sat, but it was over in a blur.

"You fuckin rat, we know we been seeing ya in the storehouse. Where the fuck are you selling it?" Isshi levied the accusation immediately. Genki had been caughty. If they could prove it they wouldn't be talking - Genki would have already been hung by the balls from the biggest tree they could find. If he didn't strike now, she could be in danger, Abella. Her, her family, his family. Everyone.

Their money, their food, their house, their lives.

No. No, no, no - they wouldn't have that chance.

Each of them was armed, right? Each of them knew what was about to happen, right?

The table flew up into the air as Genki's elbow launched it skyward, knocking two of them back onto the floor. A quick hand pulled the rusty dagger from the sleeve on his thigh and a quicker hand lodged it into the chest of the bandit on his left. A square hit, near the top of the lung, jammed between a pair of ribs - there was no getting that blade back - but that poor sap wasn't about to turn it back on him.

The other two rose to their feet, a short-sword and a dagger drawn from their hiding spots of choice. Isshi swung in a half-hearted arc as the other guy lunged for Genki. His body bowed and the flesh was spared but Genki lost his balance and fell back on his hind end! With nothing to grasp but a chair as his side, he flung it at his attackers and caught Isshi squarely in the torso. He dodged a nasty slash as he climbed to his feet. A hard chop block with forearm knocked the sword free and a solid right hook sent the man to the ground.

Isshi had recovered and lunged at Genki, as the pair fell back to the floor. They snarled and rolled and pulled and tried to out muscle the other and!....suddenly Isshi's threatening growls were muted by a weak gurgle; his own blade driven into his chest in the scuffle.

He released his grip and rolled onto his back - his hands were shaking with rage and adrenaline the intangible euphoria of a murder he had no place in his right mind expecting. He felt alive. He felt good. He laid there catching his breath for what must have been ten minutes until his reverie was disturbed by the shifting of weight on the wooden floor. The last witness left alive.

Genki pulled himself up and moved over to the third man and straddled his chest, pinning him down. "W-wait, p-please," the bandit spit out as he tried to recover.

"Leave her alone." he gritted his teeth as he forced the words out. He grabbed the bandit by the collar, with both hands, and slammed his head into wooden floor.

"Leave her alone!", this time he yelled into the bandit's face as the veins in his neck surged once more with adrenaline.

"Please!", the thief choked out one more time as his head was slammed into the floor once more.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud. He slammed the man's head into the floor again, harder each time, as his body struggled to contain the fury finally given center stage.

Until...

Squish.

The bandit's eyes rolled back into his head as blood began to pour down the gabs in the floorboards.

He left, out the back window. He could never go back now, or they would they would all be killed.

Abella never got to tell him he was going to be a father.

//

[Here ends my RP Sample]

//

After his altercation on the edge of the world, he fled inward. Predictably as he made the inner rings of the Rukongai, Genki found plenty of Shinigami to tell about the rumble. He was held in custody as a couple patrolmen verified his story, and released under the grounds that he enter Academy for training. 'Good enough to kill criminals, good enough to try killing Hollows', they had said. Maybe.

He left his old self behind and entered Academy as Genki Ogawa.

[ BOOKS, SCHMOOKS ]

"Book learnin' gives me a headache!" he would always say, every time he walked into History, or Kido Theory, or any other stuffy class like that. Genki was an average student, although he scored well above average with regards to his Swordplay, and Unit Tactics. Things went well enough and no one got killed. Just how he liked it. That hovel in the Rukongai with those dead bandits, that house on the river with his adopted family, that miller's shop with his girlfriend? They seemed but a distant memory by the time he had graduated.

During his time there, he made many friends. Maybe they were just acting as stand-ins for the gaping void in his life that he never confront. Regardless of their purpose, he found new family, new friends, in his cohorts.

After completion, he was not immediately accepted into a Division. He continued to attend training sessions, spar, and complete odd duties as a member of the First while he awaited acceptance. Thirteen months later, his letter to the Fifth was answered.

[ THE ELECTRIC SLIDE ]

The Barracks were a welcome boon in his life, and he quickly came to love any and everything about his unit well before he came to love anything about his job. Their stories were cool, their abilities were cool, hell, even their mistakes were cool. His eager, extroverted effort to get to know his squad mates quickly earned him a bright-eyed reputation and a fast place in the lives of those he served with. Now if only he paid as much attention to his actual duties.

The next several years were plagued by repeated incidents of "just enough" effort from the new Shinigami. Whatever he could do to get back to the barracks was all he was willing to give.

In 1991, he unlocked his Shikai, which prompted additional attention from Officers and more senior squad members - it was time for him to do something with this skill and power. He finally had the burden of expectation upon him and it made him...mad? He was young, admittedly, and he did not understand why this milestone marked such a significant change in expectation. He was a good officer before then, and he would continue to be one after, even if those who judged him were now using different scorecards.

Life changed when Tova Diablo attacked.

That statement seems almost stupid to hold. How could his life had stayed the same? He wasn't there at ground zero, but zipping between engagement sites, hot on the heels of Hollows and Arrancar, protecting lives, being at war. He felt alive again, reinvigorated in a way that hadn't since...since that night at the card table.

It was then, in that moment, he resolved to be alive in war.

It was then, in that moment, that he realized they had already been at war with Hueco Mundo. He was just too dense to realize. He was done letting the fight come to him.

[ PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED ]

In modern times, Genki is striving to get forty wasted years back on track. He's cut some of the bad habits, but not all of them. He isn't a model officer yet and he probably never will be, but, meh...close enough.

(Author's Notes: The materials for my Shikai is something I intend to cover via other thread work. And the majority of the material re: Tova's attack is a thing I hope to cover via threading with other players. I acknowledge and accepted any damage these missing materials does to my grade.)

Art of KillingOnce per thread, you may self-inflict a Minor Wound to engage Art of Killing. Each Round spent using Art of Killing will increase this Wound by one Rank in severity and it will interact with Novice or future Wounds normally. Art of Killing lasts until a Severe Wound is sustained or the user chooses to end it. The user may not utilize Kaidō while this skill is active.

Novice: Any melee, Strength-based Block Check may be changed from Equivalent to Advantaged or from Advantaged to Equivalent.Proficient: Art of Killing starts with a Menial Wound.Master: Art of Killing may be maintained until a Fatal Wound is sustained.

Indomitable WillAllows you to fight despite a Fatal Wound.

Novice: May continue fighting for one Round.Proficient: When taking any Wound, at any time, a Release may be activated for no action and the timer will not begin until the next Round.Master: May continue fighting for two Rounds.

Post by Genki Ogawa on Sept 7, 2015 20:11:27 GMT -5

[ SHIKAI ]

Osae Rarenai Himitsu, The Unquenchable Secret. Anyone who is within range to hear the static rush of his Shikai's release is implanted with the seeds of this power, and fighting back against Genki only hastens the insidious growth.

Deep within the recesses of the mind a secret takes root that will, over time, consume the willpower of the afflicted if it is not released in the only way a person can truly free themselves from a secret - by confessing.

It begins first as a gentle scratch in the back of the mind before it builds into an anxious energy. Soon, thoughts of the burden intrude into your consciousness and begin to spill over. Eventually, the pain of what you know but have been unable to tell occupies your every waking moment unless anything but your full focus is applied. The only way to purge this terrible urge is to unburden yourself of something you believe to genuinely be a secret. Doing so makes someone immune to the effect until Genki seals and releases his blade once more.

(Author's Notes: Mechanically, nothing about this power forces or compels anyone to actually share any secret. It is merely the persistent and growing urge to want to share it out loud. This secret can be about yourself, or about someone else you know. It cannot be a fact that the other person simply might not know, it must be something you genuinely want to keep private and can expect is not generally known.

As ranks in this skill increase, the intensity of the urge and the rate at which it grows both increase. Continuing to fight against Genki hastens the growth of the urge with each strike of his sword, relative to his skill level.)

[ BANKAI ]

-None-

[ SIGNATURE MOVES ]

Shōgekiha || Shockwave

Taking something as simple as an overhead smash, Genki channels his considerable physical strength in order to obliterate the terrain in front of him. This attack creates a narrow cone in front of him where asphalt, stone, concrete, or really anything, is ripped up into large chunks and scattered over several yards. It's also not uncommon for this technique to devastate any armor or shields unfortunate enough to be caught underneath the down-stroke.

Ōtō || Response

What he lacks in flair he makes up for with common sense, in spades. When Genki parries a strike he will almost always make an effort to do so with one hand so that he can follow up with a left hook to the jaw, a kick to the chest, or a forearm shiver. With this in mind, he almost always fights with one hand free to keep his options open. Quick answers to attacks are kind of his thing.

Hirogemasu || Unfurl

Despite not being fleet of foot or especially agile, his reflexes are very sharp. It's exceedingly difficult to catch unable to defend himself, and a technique like this is as close as he gets to a 'trick'. It is his pleasure to wait as long as possible to draw his sword, ensuring an attacker will close as much as possible before unleashing his fury upon them.

Post by Genki Ogawa on Jan 31, 2016 19:49:57 GMT -5

Not today, baby! Genki is back!

Also, houskeeping measures: I have replaced my Zanjutsu universal skill with "Bajiquan" which is a style of fighting that features a sword and off-hand strikes made with a bare hand. This is functionally identical to Zanjutsu, just flavorfully different.

Expenditure:-100 into Shunpo, raising that to Journeyman-50 is going into a new Custom Skill, outlined below. [Beginner Rank]-38 into Bank for a total of 38-Brings my total GP to 2988

Third, I have a Custom Skill for your review!Pay It ForwardWhile not at all naturally gifted with Kido, Genki has certainly observed a lot of healing magic being used on him. He remembers the way it feels, how the energy surges to wounded places and begins stitching him together. It'd be nice if he could do that! But he can't. Genki, however, is a pretty stubborn guy. Given that fighting is just as much (if not more) about mental toughness as it is physical might, this refusal to let minor things like flayed skin and exposed bone from stopping him is very useful. To this end, he has learned to surge his energy to parts of his body in order to apply some desperate, temporary stitching to hold things together just a little bit longer. In the end, the damage is still done and he'll have to pay for it. But, well...I ain't got time to bleed

Beginner: Just beginning to understand how to quickly apply his will, Genki still suffers from the jarring unfamiliarity from using principals he just doesn't really understand. There's no textbook for this. At this rank, Genki can temporarily reduce incoming wounds by -1 rank after Defense. If he does this, every turn he delays "paying" for the true strength of the wound adds +4 levels to the wound.

Novice: While still very difficult for him to control, exerting his will is now less taxing. As such, turns in which he does not attack no longer increment the penalty. The wound ratio now drops to 3:1

Journeyman: Genki has become more adept at focusing his will on more severe injuries, and as such, he can now drop a wound up to -2 ranks after Defense. These wounds each pay the same ratio of 3:1, so -2 ranks to a wound, requires a later payment of +6

Expert: There is no teacher like pain, and Genki has, uh, had a lot of lessons. Still, no time to bleed. The ratio further improves to 2:1

Master: Give how much control he exerts over his body, Genki essentially chooses when and how long and how badly he bleeds. This 'tactic' doesn't do him a lot of good for avoiding the damage but, well, momentum is a neat thing. The ratio is now 1:1

Grandmaster: Genki may now drop any wound as many ranks as he would like, while still maintaining the 1:1 ratio. [Feel free to leave this out of the approval if you want]

Post by Genki Ogawa on Jul 3, 2016 13:39:26 GMT -5

Thanks to some interesting discussion with the folks on staff, let's remodel this!

Pay It ForwardWhile not at all naturally gifted with Kido, Genki has certainly observed a lot of healing magic being used on him. He remembers the way it feels, how the energy surges to wounded places and begins stitching him together. It'd be nice if he could do that! But he can't. Genki, however, is a pretty stubborn guy. Given that fighting is just as much (if not more) about mental toughness as it is physical might, this refusal to let minor things like flayed skin and exposed bone from stopping him is very useful. To this end, he is learning to 'hold it together' by surging his energy to parts of his body in times of need so he can keep fighting. This works nicely while the zen of combat blocks out the pain but he can only delay it for so long.

"People keep on telling me that the licks I've been taking should have put me six feet under. But, well...I ain't got time to bleed."

Beginner: Just starting to understanding how to exert his will over his own body, Genki suffers from a jarring unfamiliarity with healing methods. There's no textbook for this. At this rank, any Superficial, Menial, or Minor Wound requires an additional hit before progressing to the next severity. Wounds above this rank are unaffected.

Novice: While still difficult to control, it's becoming less taxing and more reflexive for him to do so. Moderate Wounds now require an additional hit before progressing to the next severity. Wounds above this rank are unaffected. Superficial Wounds are ignored.

Journeyman: Now that he's getting comfortable with handling the minor annoyances, Genki can focus his energy and willpower on things that are more genuinely threatening to his well-being. Major Wounds now require an additional hit before progressing to the next severity. Menial Wounds are ignored.

Expert: There's no teacher quite like pain and, well, Genki's had a lot of lessons. Major Wounds now require another additional hit (2 total) before progressing to the next severity. Minor Wounds are ignored.

Master: Given how much control Genki has over his own body as well as his pain receptors, he practically chooses when and how long he bleeds. This 'tactic' doesn't do him any good for avoiding the damage but, hey. He's a stubborn guy. Severe Wounds now require an addition hit before progressing to the next severity.

Grandmaster: As long as the attack doesn't completely destroy him, there's just no stopping this guy. Genki may be held together by sheer will and great hair but damn it, he's still held together! So long as his body is not completely destroyed by an attack, Genki can suffer a second fatal wound before becoming incapacitated. Moderate Wounds are ignored.

Post by Value on Jul 16, 2016 15:57:42 GMT -5

I have only a single question about this. Is there any kind of guide for how many turns in combat he can block out wounds like this and proceed as though he weren't injured? Or is it just flavor and story guided?

Post by Genki Ogawa on Jul 16, 2016 16:04:21 GMT -5

Given that this skill no longer has anything to do with reducing hits taking, merely taking on more, I had thought it best to remove any mention of time or duration and simply leave it to where it "catches up with him" when combat has reached its conclusion. If you'd like that included somewhere, it could be, but nothing is jumping out as a great place to put that in to my admittedly biased eye.

Post by Value on Jul 16, 2016 16:20:18 GMT -5

Nope. Just wanted that cleared up. Given that this all catches up with him at the end of combat, unlike both Regen and Hierro, this strikes me as just fine. Unlike Regen he doesn't get rid of the wounds for good, he just suppresses them- and any GM in Regen will be able to recover from wounds like these with similar efficiency and stubbornness. A GM in Hierro would be reducing wounds by about this much as well. It strikes me as aptly Genki, without being overpowered.

The sole place I might want a time limit on it coming back to him is on Fatal, say in three or four rounds (which, given the nature of most fights on BG, would probably be the end of the fight anyways). I'm comfortable revisiting that discussion in the future though, once you're more comfortably on your way to mastery.